Restaurant Inspections, July 27, 2005

The Tribune will run a weekly list of restaurant inspections completed by the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment. Inspection reports are available to the public at the health department, 1555 N. 17th Ave., or at its Web site, http://www.co.weld.co.us/ departments/health/publichealth.html (click on “Restaurant Inspections Online”). Two types of violations are noted during an inspection: critical and noncritical. Critical violations are violations that, if left uncorrected, are more likely than other violations to contribute to food contamination or illness. Noncritical violations are violations that, if left uncorrected, could lead to more serious problems but do not pose an immediate threat to food safety. The Tribune is listing only critical violations in its weekly report. To get more detail on the noncritical violations, go to the county Web site.

Inspections since July 15:

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* Cleaning supplies stored amidst serving dishes and single service items on wire shelving in kitchen. Poisonous or toxic materials shall be stored so they do not contaminate food, equipment, utensils, linens or single-service articles. Corrected at time of inspection.

* One noncritical violation also reported.

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* Pot of cooked green chile holding at 50 degrees in back walk-in cooler after being placed in the cooler the day before. Potentially hazardous foods shall be cooled from 135 to 70 in two hours and from 70 to 41 in four additional hours. This food did not meet the cooling parameters and so was disposed of at time of inspection. See Voluntary Condemnation Agreement attached.

* Cut raw beef in 5-gallon buckets holding in walk-in cooler at 49 degrees after having been placed there a day earlier. Potentially hazardous foods shall be kept cold at 41 degrees or below. This meat had been out of temperature for longer than the four hour limit so was disposed of at time of inspection. See Voluntary Condemnation Agreement attached. Restaurant must divide food into smaller batches for cooling and for holding cold. This was discussed with management at the time of the inspection.

* One noncritical violation also reported.

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* No violations.

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* Found cheese at 50 degrees, cheese at 45 degrees and sausage at 44 degrees in top of pizza prep table cooler. Potentially hazardous foods must be kept at or below 41 degrees or at or above 135 degrees at all times. Food manger closed prep table top and was instructed to turn unit down, if necessary, and to monitor temperature with probe-type thermometer. Corrected during inspection. Call department with results of temperature checks.

*Only probe-type thermometer found to be working was not properly calibrated. Thermometer was reading 80 degrees inside cooler, which was operating at proper temp. Provide probe-type food thermometer, scaled 0-220 degrees and accurate to =/- 2 degrees and use to monitor food temperatures during cold holding. Correct as soon as possible but within 10 days. Call department when corrected.

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*Green chile found in walk-in cooler at 165 degrees after one hour of cooling. Macaroni salad found in cooler at 55 degrees after one and a half hours of cooling. Potentially hazardous foods shall be cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees within two hours and from 70 degrees to 41 degrees within an additional four hours. Both items removed from cooler, divided into smaller containers and put into ice bath in order to assure cooling within the proper time frame.

* No backflow prevention for hose attached to faucet at three-compartment sink. No hose shall be attached to a potable water outlet that is not equipped with a suitable backflow prevention device. Correct within one week.

* Five noncritical violations also reported.

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* One noncritical violation.

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* No violations.

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* Ten pounds of hamburger found at 50 degrees at time of inspection. Hamburger placed in cooler the day before. All potentially hazardous food must be cooled from 135 degrees to 41 degrees within six hours provided that food is cooled to 70 degrees within two hours. Food disposed of at time of inspection. Correct immediately.

* One noncritical violation also provided.

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* One noncritical violation.

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* Based on the inspection, employees failed to demonstrate knowledge of foodborne illness prevention and the Colorado Retail Food Establishment Rules and Regulations. Department provided handouts in Spanish. Correct within 10 days.

*Found pan of ground beef on top of pan of ice at 124 degrees. Found pot of green chili at 84 degrees and pot of red chili at 118 degrees in reach-in refrigerator (east). Facility not following proper quick cooling methods. The red chili prepared two hours ago was reheated, Green chili was disposed of (see Voluntary Condemnation Agreement, dated July 19). Ground beef panned out in ice bath to cool because it had been out of temperature for about one hour. Cooked potentially hazardous foods must be cooled from 135 degrees to 41 degrees or less within six hours, provided food is cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees, or below, within first two hours. Correct by following approved cooling methods. Handout provided in Spanish. Correct immediately.

* Probe-type thermometer in kitchen reading 97 degrees in ambient air. A probe-type thermometer must be provided and used to check temperature of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, reheating, hot holding, cooling and cold holding. Thermometer must be scaled 0-220 degrees and accurate to =/- 2 degrees. Provide and use thermometer, as required, within 10 days.

* Facility must have adequate equipment to maintain food temperatures. Facility does not have proper refrigeration capacity for thawing, cooling and cold holding potentially hazardous foods. Correct within 10 days. Limit menu until corrected. Owner failed to adhere to agreement (on June 15) to not prepare foods in advance (see *03a chili). Owner said it was extra chili, not meant to be cooled.

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* One noncritical violation.

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* No violations.

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* Employee did not know how to sanitize. Employee did not know where probe-type thermometer was. No one was checking temperatures of foods in hot holding. Employees must demonstrate knowledge of foodborne illness prevention and Colorado Retail Food Establishment Rules and Regulations and how they pertain to their specific tasks. Department provided handouts in Spanish. Correct as soon as possible but within 10 days.

* Found cooked beef tongue at 47 degrees and cooked chicken at 49 degrees in walk-in cooler. These foods were prepared night before, July 18, and placed in walk-in cooler to cool. Foods were in large portions and in large pots. Cooked potentially hazardous foods must be cooled from 135 degrees to 41 degrees or less within six hours, provided food is cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees or less within first two hours. Foods disposed of by owner (see Voluntary Condemnation Agreement, dated July 19). Correct by following proper cooling methods and verifying method by checking temperatures with probe-type thermometer during cooling. Correct immediately.

* Found burritos being returned to facility and hot holding equipment at 114-121 degrees. Cooked potentially hazardous foods must be kept at or above 135 degrees. Burritos were reheated by owner. Correct immediately. Use probe-type thermometer to check temperature of foods during hot holding and reheat as necessary.

*No sanitizer was being used for dishwashing or for cleaning/sanitizing food contact surfaces. All equipment/utensils and food contact surfaces must be sanitized. When using chlorine bleach as sanitizer, use 50-100 ppm concentration. Department demonstrated proper procedure. Correct immediately.

* Facility seating 18 patrons. For facilities which seat 15 or more patrons, a toilet room must be provided for each sex. Correct by installing additional restroom or limiting seating to less than 15. Correct within 10 days.

* Four noncritical violations also reported.

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* Four three gallon plastic containers of refried beans found in reach-in freezer with temperatures at 53 degrees-68 degrees in the center of the food product. Beans had been prepared the night before. Beans were discarded (Voluntary Condemnation form). Cooling food safety data sheet was left with facility in English and Spanish. Potentially hazardous foods shall be cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees in two hours and from 70 degrees to 41 degrees in four additional hours. Potentially hazardous foods shall be cooled using one or more of the following methods: in shallow, uncovered containers that facilitate heat transfer (ex. metal), stirring while in an ice bath, use of an ice wand, under refrigeration, adding ice as an ingredient or other effective method. (Corrected)

* Food thermometer not available. A calibrated food thermometer with a numerical scale of 0-220 F shall be provided and accessible at all times. Correct by 07/21/05. Contact inspector when corrected.

* One noncritical violation also reported.

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* Lemons found in hand sink. Lemons must be washed in an preparation sink only. Hand sinks must remain unblocked at all times to ensure proper hand washing taking place. Corrected at time of inspection.

* Reach-in coolers in kitchen found with food temperatures of 48-53 degrees at time of inspection. Food temperatures within coolers ranged from 45-53 degrees at time of inspection. The following potentially hazardous foods were disposed of at time of inspection: Half and half containers (qty 30) found at 53 degrees, parmesean cheese found at 52 degrees, crab meat (1/8 lb) found at 52 degrees and feta cheese found at 52 degrees. Other potentially hazardous foods found at 45 degrees were moved to walk-in cooler at time of inspection. All potentially hazardous foods must be kept at 41 degrees and below. Correct immediately. Repeat violation.

* All reach-in coolers in main kitchen area found with food temperatures at 48-53 degrees. Three out of four reach-in coolers had no potentially hazardous food, or it was removed during the inspection. The last reach-in (three door) had food temperatures holding around 40-45 on bottom two levels and 45-53 on top drawer of cooler. Many items store in ice baths at time of inspection. Equipment must be repaired to provide adequate cooling and cold holding ability. If coolers are not repaired, or are un-capable of holding 41 degrees or below, the inspector will recommend for a reduce menu and/or purchase of new equipment.

* One noncritical violation also reported.

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*No violations reported.

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* Four noncritical violations reported.

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* One noncritical violation reported.

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* No violations reported.

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* No violations reported.

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* One noncritical violation reported.

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* One noncritical violation reported.

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* Mashed potatoes prepared three hours earlier holding at 83 degrees. Potatoes were split into smaller portions by operator. Potentially hazardous foods shall be cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees in two hours and from 70 degrees to 41 degrees in four additional hours. (Corrected).

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* Hot water not available at hand sink in the kitchen. Correct by Aug. 21.

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* No violations reported.

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* Walk-in cooler found holding at 44 degrees. All cold hold items must be kept at 41 degrees. Unit adjusted during inspection.

* One noncritical violation also reported.

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* No violations reported.

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* Burrito mixture (eggs, sausage, peppers, etc.) found in walk-in cooler at 45 degrees after being placed there in the morning (inspection took place at 4 p.m.). All potentially hazardous foods must be cooled from 135 degrees to 41 degrees within six hours, providing that within the first two hours the food cools from 135 degrees to 70 degrees. Walk-in cooler ambient air temperature was 45 degrees. Other foods within cooler were commercially packaged and unopened. Maintenance company called at time of inspection to turn down temperature of cooler. Burrito mixture was disposed of at time of inspection. See Voluntary Condemnation Agreement attached.

* Soap dispensers at both hand sinks were not dispensing soap well due to placement of bag inside dispenser. Soap must be available at all times in order to facilitate proper hand washing. Corrected at time of inspection, an employees must either adjust the dispenser or ask for help if it is not working when they want to wash hands. Do not use hand sanitizer instead of washing hands, only use it in addition to hand washing.